Striker mechanism for bagmaking machines



A. J. EVERS March 30, 1954 STRIKER MECHANISM FOR BAGMAKING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 3, 1952 INVENTOR. @5510 $6715.

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Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRIKER MECHANISM FOR BAGMAKIN G MACHINES Application April 3, 1952, Serial No. 280,302

Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bagmaking machines and particularly seeks to provide novel cut-off or striker mechanisms therefor.

The tuber portions of earlier paper bag machines have generally employed cut-offs or strikers either of the rotary wish-bone type or of the plural transversely disposed bar type carried by continuously driven sprocket chains. Neither of these two types of striker mechanisms are suitable for use in connection with high speed machines capable of manufacturing relatively large paper bags due either to resultant irregular cutoils of individual bag lengths from the continuously formed tube or to abnormally rapid wearing of the moving parts.

The striker bar mechanism of the present invention may be used in connection with any type of bag machine but is particularly useful in connection with high speed machines for making the so-called automatic or self-opening square bags.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a novel striker bar mechanism for high speed bagmaking machines which occupies a minimum of space in the machine and which is capable of being operated at extremely high speeds while still effecting an accurate and smooth cut-off of individual bag lengths from a continuously formed paper tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism of the character stated so constructed that the effect of centrifugal force on the striker bar itself is minimized.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism of the character stated in which the striker bar travels through an orbital path lying in a single plane.

A further object of this invention is to provide mechanism of the character stated in which the striker bar during its orbital path of travel is always maintained in substantial parallelism with the general plane of the bag tube.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character stated which includes a rotary mounting having a striker oar rotatably carried by one end thereof and connected to the machine frame through planetary gearing whereby the striker bar will be bodily moved through a circular orbit while remaining in parallel relationship with respect to the general plane of the bag tube.

A further object of this invention is to provide in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will be more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by refernce to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description, and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of bagmaking machine in connection with which a striker mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention may be used;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the end. of the bag tube forming plate and serrated cut-off bar at the cut-off station taken along line 33 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing the main drive connections for the driven elements of the machine;

5 is a transverse section taken along line 55 of Fig. 7

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken along line 6-5 of Fig. 7;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken along line of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse detailed section taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section taken along line I0l B of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged end elevation of the striker mechanism illustrating the path of travel of the striker bar through one full revolution.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the invention as illustrated is embodied in a machine for making automatic or self-opening square bags and includes a base A upon which is mounted a tuber section B and a bottoming section C having their operable parts driven by a motor D through a variable output pump E and fluid motor F.

The tuber section B includes a front frame member 5 and a rear frame member 6 carrying towards their right ends a transversely disposed inverted U-shaped bracket 1 provided with a depending post 8 to which is attached a heel end of a lower tube-forming plate 9. The forming plate 9 extends along the tuber section and is provided with a toe end to having a serrated edge located at the line of cut-off (see Fig. 3). An upper forming plate H is maintained in spaced parallel relationship to the plate 9, and a pair of rigidly positioned spaced parallel gusset plates 12, I2 have their inner edge portions extending between the forming plates 9 and II in order to 3 provide for the formation of gussets in the bag tube being formed. It will be noted that the topforming and gusset plates II and I2 terminate short of the end of the associated lower forming plate 9 in order to permit the main draw rolls of the machine to function properly. For this purpose the end portion of the forming plate 9 is provided with a pair of opposed edge notches I3, I3. A stationary serrated cutter blade I4 is maintained in spaced relation over and adjacent the end of the forming plate 9 and the bag tube passes under it when the machine is in operation.

With the above described arrangement of forming plates and cut-off blade individual ba lengths are severed from the continuously formed tube by a striker bar moving upwardly from below the plane of the tube to first tear the bottom face of the tube along the line of the serrated end H) of the forming plate 9 and then to tear the gusset material and top face of the tube along the line of the serrated cut off blade l4. Of course, the relationship between the lines of tear is such that each bag length is cleanly severed from the tube.

The tuber section B (see Fig. '7) is also provided with the usual upper and lower slitter wheels respectively numbered [5 and i9, upper and lower main draw rolls respectively numbered l1 and I8, and upper and lower pinch rolls respectively numbered I9 and 29. tively small diameter rotary support rolls 2|, 2| are located beneath the forming plates and positioned on either side of the lower draw roll it to support the end portion of the forming plate assembly.

The aforementioned rolls as well as other operating parts of the machine are driven from the fluid motor F (see Fig. 4) through a back shaft 22 bevel gear connected to a transverse shaft 23 and suitable gear trains (not shown in detail) contained within a housing 24. The other transverse shafts appearing in Fig. 4 are operably connected to machine parts not forming part of the present invention.

The striker bar mechanism generally indicated i at G and constructed in accordance with this invention is shown in detail in Figs. 8 to 11 of the drawings and. includes a rearwardly extending mounting bracket 25 rigidly affixed to the rear frame member 6. The bracket 25 includes a horizontal bearing boss 29 adapted to rotatably support in suitable bearings 21 a stub shaft 28 having one end connected to a transverse shaft 29 through a coupling 29a. The other end of the shaft 29 is operably connected to the gear train contained within the housing 24. The free end of the stub shaft 28 is connected through a pair of bevel gears 39, 39 to a vertical shaft 2| rotatably mounted in an upwardl extending boss 32 of the bracket 25 as through suitable bearings 33, 33. The shaft 3| in turn is connected through the medium of a pair of bevel gears 34, 34 to the rotary striker bar unit. One of the gear 34 is 'affixed to a shaft 35 rotatably mounted in a bearing boss 36 formed integral with the bracket 25 and located above and at right angles to the boss 26. One end of the shaft 35 is rotatably carried by a bearing 31 mounted within the boss 36 and the other end by a bearing 38.

A sun gear 39 having a seal member 49, is secured by its flanged. mounting plate 4| to the adjacent end of the bearing boss 36 a by bolts indicated at am. It may be here noted that the holes in the plate 4| through which the bolts 4|a pass may be somewhat elongated to permit A pair of rela- 4 slightly rotary adjustment of th sun gear 39 with respect to the boss 36.

One end of the shaft extends through the mounting plate 4| and gear 39 and is provided at its outer end with a flange 42. Thus the shaft 35 rotates with respect to the sun gear 39 and is adapted to carry the remaining elements of the striker bar assembly. To this end a hollow, generally elliptical striker bar rotor 43 is rigidly aflixed at its center to the flange 42 as by a plurality of bolts 44. One end of the rotor 43 rotatably carries a shaft 45 in spaced bearings 46, 46 with its axis of rotation parallel to that of the shaft 35. A gear 41 having a diameter the same as that of the gear 39 is rigidly secured to the shaft 45 intermediate the bearings 46 and is operably connected to the gear 39 through an intermediate or idle gear 48 rotatably carried by a stub shaft 49 secured to the rotor 43.

The length of the shaft 45 is such that one end thereof project beyond the outer face of the rotor 43. A striker 59 is removably affixed to the projecting end of the shaft 45 a by a plurality of bolts 5| and includes on one end a long striker bar 52 projectable across the bag tube at the cut-off station, and on the other end a counterbalance 53.

The other end of the rotor 43 is provided with a counterbalance 34 to offset the gyratory effects of the gears 2 and 48 and the striker 50.

Th problem of lubrication of the gear train in the striker rotor may be solved easil by providing appropriate oil seals around the moving parts and filling the center of the rotor with oil or other suitable lubricant.

it is believed apparent from the foregoing description that when the striker rotor 43 is driven from the shaft 29 through the shafts 28, 3| and 35, and since the sun gear 39 is stationary, the angular position of the gear 41 with respect thereto will remain constant as will that of the striker bar 52. Preferably the striker 50 should be so affixed to the shaft 45 that its striker bar 52 is positioned in a plane generally parallel to that of the bag tube at the cut off station and thus will partake of the orbital path shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings.

B having the sun gear mounting plate 4| adjustably secured to the boss 36 slight inaccuracies in meshing alignment of the gear can be compensated for by loosening the bolts Ma and slightly rotating the plate 4| and its gear 39 in the proper direction. Furthermore, this adjustment feature provides means for setting the striker bar 52 slightly out of parallelism with the plane of the bag tube in case the machine operator should desire to have the bag length cut-off first begin at either the front or rear edge of the tube instead of substantially simultaneously across the full width thereof.

Since in the embodiment of the invention illustrated the striker assembly is mounted on the rear of the machine the rear frame member 6 is provided with an angularly disposed slot 55 (see Fig. 7) to permit passage of the striker bar 52 therethrough. It may be noted that the slot 55 is disposed at an angle somewhat more than with respect to the general path of travel of the bag tube and that the striker assembly is similarly oriented in order to provide for a clean cut-off against the toe H) of the forming plate and the blade i4.

During the operation of the machine the draw rolls I1 and l3 continuously feed the bag tube, and the pinch rolls I9 and 20 serve their usual function of slightly and momentarily retarding the feed of the tube at the time of the cut-ofi to provide enough slack in the cut-off zone that the cut-01f may be readily effected by the striker bar. After each individual bag length has been thus parted its leading end is engaged by the usual forwarding rolls 51, 51 for forwarding into the bottomer in the usual manner.

It may be noted that the upper draw roll I1 is carried within a housing 58 to which is attached the cut-off blade It. The other side of the housin 53 carries a plurality of spaced depending brackets 59 which rotatably support an idler roller 60 located over one of the support rolls 2|.

It is, of course, to be understood that various details of arrangements and proportions of parts may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a bagmaking machine wherein is provided a tuber section including tube-forming plates terminating at a cut-off station, draw rolls for pulling the formed tube along the forming plates and pinch rolls positioned beyond the cutoff station for momentarily causing slack to appear in the bag tube each time an individual bag length is severed therefrom; cut-off means positioned at said cut-off station and including a striker bar movable in an orbital path lying in a single plane disposed transversely of and intersecting the general plane of travel of said tube while being maintained in substantially fixed angular relationship with respect to the general plane of said tube at said cut-01f station.

2. In a bagmaking machine wherein is provided a tuber section includin tube-forming plates terminating at a cut-off station, draw rolls for pulling the formed tube along the forming plates and pinch rolls positioned beyond the cutoff station for momentarily causing slack to appear in the bag tube each time an individual bag length is severed therefrom; cut-off means positioned at said cut-off station and comprising a constantly rotating striker unit including a striker rotor operatively connected to said machine, a striker bar rotatably mounted on said rotor and projectable across the path of travel of said bag tube at said cut-off station, and gear means operatively associated with said rotor for maintaining said striker bar in substantially fixed angular relation With respect to the plane of said bag tube while said striker bar is moved by said rotor through an orbital path lying in a single plane.

3. Cut-off means for a bagmaking machine comprising a striker rotor, a striker bar rotatably mounted on said rotor about an axis parallel to the axis of said rotor, means operatively associated with said rotor for maintaining said striker bar in substantially fixed angular relation with respect to a reference plane while being moved by said rotor through an orbital path lying in a single plane, and means for rotating said rotor.

4. Cut-off means for a bagmaking machine comprising a striker rotor mounted on the frame of said machine with its axis in generally parallel alignment with the axis of the bag tube being formed by said machine, a striker bar rotatably mounted on said rotor and projectable across the path of travel of said bag tube, gear means operatively associated with said rotor and the frame of said machine for maintaining said striker bar in substantially fixed angular relation with respect to the general plane of said bag tube while being moved by said rotor through an orbital path in a single plane intersecting that of said bag tube, and means for rotating said rotor.

5. Cut-off means for a bagmaking machine comprising a gear alfixed to the fram of said machine with its axis in general alignment with the axis of the bag tube being formed by said machine, a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame of said machine and having one end extending through said gear and projecting therebeyond, a striker rotor afiixed to the end of said shaft for rotation in a plane transversely of that of said bag tube, a shaft rotatably mounted on said rotor with its axis in substantially parallel alignment with that of said first mentioned shaft, a striker bar mounted on one end of said last mentioned shaft and projectable across the path of travel of said bag tube, a gear mounted on the other end of said last mentioned shaft, means for operatively connecting said last mentioned and said fixed gears whereby to maintain said striker bar in substantially fixed angular relation with respect to the general plane of said bag tube while being moved by said rotor through an orbital path, and means for rotating said first mentioned shaft and said rotor.

ARTHUR J. EVERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 726,866 Claussen May 5, 1903 806,303 Strosburg Dec. 5, 1905 1,887,680 Hallman Nov. 15, 1932 1,910,387 Hahn May 23, 1933 2,391,719 Llewellyn Dec. 25, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 659,802 France Feb. 11, 1929 

